DEALS

Letters to the editor: Fire the press

Published: October 29, 2013

Fire the press

I’m fed up with sport pundits and reporters who are calling for Greg Schiano to be fired as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I am not a Buc fan, or much of one of the NFL, but the treatment being given to Schiano by the Fourth Estate’s sport reporters reminds one of their political colleagues, who act just as badly in the political arena.

These reporters support the front runner and popular opinion and stay with the status quo until there is heat in the kitchen. In the political arena we see a similar attitude by the press, by its constant support and recognition of just the two major parties (status quo) and their corrupt money and unethical practices as the country slides deeper into poverty, wars and oppression.

They point fingers and accuse the very people they supported from the beginning, and only when the heat gets intense do they become virtuous, civil and self-righteous. What a bunch of hypocrites.

Fire the press and media!

Brian P. Moore

Spring Hill

Pricey castle

Regarding “Bishop expelled over pricey home” (Nation & World, Oct. 24): I have always understood that the term “charity begins at home” meant that people should be more giving within their own community, but I don’t think it means providing oneself a castle. Our new pope did the right thing by expelling “a German bishop from his diocese pending the outcome of a church inquiry into his new $43 million residence.”

Many in our own country, because of the poor economy, are unfortunately losing their homes.

Pinellas public records show that the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg owns a home with a “sales comparison approach to value” of $602,200, in today’s housing market. This home, with 3,929 total living square feet, and a dock and a pool, was purchased a few months after former Bishop Favalora was installed in May 1989. I do not know how the diocese is using this home, but I would be curious how Pope Francis, a humble man who doesn’t partake in luxuries, would feel about it.

Dale Kimball

Lutz

Health care legwork

Regarding Kathy Winans’ recent letter recommending that seniors shop for and compare Medicare Advantage plans: She failed to give suggestions on how to decide which plan is best.

To avoid choosing a poor policy, I’ll pass along the best tip I ever got: Before signing on the dotted line,visit the business office of your local hospital and ask them about their experience with the company you are considering. You will find their answer to be illuminating, to say the least.

Those European countries are so upset with the NSA snooping that it will likely allow our forces to remain for only another 50 years. Why in the world they are not yelling “Yankees go home” is a complete mystery to me. That goes for Spain, Italy, England and the rest of those tourist countries. Bring our troops home! We need them in Chicago, Detroit, the Bronx and other pending contiguous United States combat zones.

Joseph M. Abad

Tampa

Sauce for the goose?

If the German Embassy in Washington installed intelligence-gathering antennas atop its buildings and retrofitted their consulates across America with similar technologies, would President Obama dismiss this news saying, “The sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander”?

James J. Harkins IV

Sun City Center

Remember history

Our allies who are all crying foul regarding listening in on phone calls have forgotten or are ignoring history. There are many examples of spying throughout history, but one of the most pertinent occurred during World War I. Our friend Great Britain cut all trans-Atlantic cables except those running through England, enabling them to read U.S. and other diplomatic cables, while we were then neutral. While President Wilson was trying to negotiate an end to the war, the Brits leaked the Zimmerman cable, in which the Germans were trying to get Mexico to invade the United States. The ensuing uproar was instrumental in ending American neutrality and Congress passing a war declaration. This arguably reversed the course of the war and enabled the ultimate victory over Germany.

Perhaps the only reason we haven’t heard about the current spy practices of our allies is that they don’t have a Snowden baring their dirty laundry.

After a long run in the Tampa Tribune sports department, Joe Henderson now shares his thoughts on the people and places that make up daily life in our city.

Tom Jackson

Tom Jackson’s baseball card — if he had one — would report he throws left, writes right. In his columns and blog, “The Right Stuff,” southpaw Jackson provides insight into the evolving human condition from a distinctly conservative point of view.Column | Blog